As a Veterinary Assistant student, you'll prepare for a career working with animals in a variety of settings such as veterinary clinics, boarding kennels, and grooming salons.
You'll study animal diseases and disease prevention, small animal pharmacology, pet grooming, kennel management, animal behavior, nutrition, legal principles, human relations, and communication.
Paying for your degree may be easier than you think with our financial aid and scholarships. Kirkwood offers more than $3 million in scholarships for students each year!
Graduates of the Veterinary Assistant program will be able to:
Before acceptance into our program, you'll be required to attend a one-hour program conference where you'll gain more information about our program and ask any questions you may have.
No. You’ll want to take Pre-Veterinary Medicine course through our Arts and Sciences Division; then transfer to a four-year college or university to receive a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Animal Science, Physics or Biology. After that, you’ll attend veterinary school and work toward your Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.
Self-motivation; a goal-oriented attitude; an outgoing, friendly personality; and maturity are needed to be successful in this career. Working with a veterinarian on a paid or volunteer basis is also a good idea and will expose you to all aspects of the career –including sights, smells, sounds and issues that may be hard to deal with including euthanasia.
The State of Iowa does not currently license, register or certify veterinary assistants. Prospective students should familiarize themselves with state regulations in the jurisdiction where they intend to become employed.
See the needed exam scores listed below.
Exam | Veterinary Technician | Veterinary Assistant |
---|---|---|
English | 77 Composite | 60 Composite |
Grammar | 75 | 40 |
Reading | 75 | 70 |
Vocabulary | 75 | 70 |
Math | 80 | 69 |
Biology | 75 | 55 |
Chemistry | 73 | N/A |
The Veterinary Assistant program provides students with a broad background and excellent entry-level technical skills essential to professional assistants to the animal care industry.
Agricultural Sciences
1000 Washington Hall
319-398-5609
agsciences@kirkwood.edu